Some of you may have seen her in the hallways, or maybe you even share a class with her, but Abraxas Tan, a foreign exchange student from China, is still in awe about the monumental differences between America and China.
Originally from Jiangsu, China, Tan grew up taking the local bus to school and having everything she needed within walking distance. “It’s very, very different here than from what I am accustomed to,” she stated when asked about America. Though she chose the name Abraxas when she came to America, her parents and friends back home know her as Xinyue. She chose the name Abraxas as it is from one of her favorite book series, “Harry Potter,” and Abraxas is the name of her favorite character’s grandfather.
“I like America, but it’s really different from China in many ways. Your school is utterly different.”
Tan further explained that in China, the teachers moved around from class to class teaching their subjects, while the students stayed in the same classroom. Students would usually have the same classmates for three years, and school starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. However, many students stay even later to get aid in schooling and finally go home at around 9 p.m.
Students also cannot choose what classes they want to take until their junior years. At the end of their high school career, they take a very important exam that decides what level of university they will attend. As a junior, Abraxas is currently enrolled in pre-calculus; however, she already learned calculus when she was in China, many years before. When asked about the differences in the classes, Tan said, “Our classes are much harder than yours.”
“Your town is like our village, and in China, just outside our community, you can find shops and everything you need.” It is very rare for someone in Tan’s hometown to travel to a different town or city just to purchase something or go to a restaurant.
The food and dining options in America are not very impressive to Tan. “I think you are used to very poor food, and in China, we have really good food,” she said with a small smile. Whenever her host family asks where she would like to go out to eat, she always says she would much rather have a home-cooked meal than eat at various American restaurants.
“I love it here, but I love the food in China, especially where I come from, and I miss it very much,” Tan said.
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